(CNN) — The last of the victims in the Connecticut mass shooting will be laid to rest Saturday, as the grieving begins to be overtaken by a loud debate on gun control.
Josephine Gay turned 7 just days before Adam Lanza forced himself into Sandy Hook Elementary School, shooting her and 19 other students, along with six adults.
A photo of the happy child, wearing a green hat and with glasses on the end of her nose, has been republished widely.
Services also will held for 6-year-old Ana Marquez-Greene, who is remembered for a singing voice bigger than her size. A representative for her father, the jazz musician Jimmy Greene, described the girl as “beautiful and vibrant.”
In Utah, a funeral was scheduled for Emilie Parker, 6. She “was the type of person who could light up a room,” her father told reporters. She is remembered as a mentor to her two younger sisters, ages 3 and 4.
The horrendous nature of the Dec. 14 shooting — defenseless children and teachers being gunned done — has led to a consensus that something must be done.
But what exactly to do in order to protect America’s children is setting up to be an intense fight between those calling for more restrictive gun laws and those who want guns for protection.
Most of the voices in the immediate aftermath of the shooting were in favor of gun control.
A CNN/ORC poll taken after the shooting shows that a slight majority of Americans favor restrictions on guns. Conservative Democrats and even some Republicans who have supported gun rights have said they are open to discussing gun control.
On Friday, the National Rifle Association weighed in, making it clear that the organization would not budge an inch on gun control. The gun rights group, instead, said it will fund a team to devise a program that would put armed guards at all schools.
The NRA’s position sets the stage for a contentious battle between one of the most powerful lobbying groups in Washington and the Obama administration, which has promised quick action on “real reforms” to gun laws.
